


Promises

by Catsarecutebutaliens



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alcohol, Dark Tony Stark, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Forgiving, I Don't Even Know, I dont know what to tag, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, In a way, Non-Graphic Violence, Physical Abuse, Promises, Tony Stark Has Issues, Trigger Warnings, Violence, just tagging to be sure, kind of, oh boy this is dark, tell me if you need me to tag anything else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 11:58:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14914955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catsarecutebutaliens/pseuds/Catsarecutebutaliens
Summary: She can only forgive so much.orThree times she forgave him and the one time she doesn't.





	Promises

**Author's Note:**

> This is an outlet for my bad feelings so, please, take a look at the tags and stay safe. I tried a new writing style so tell me what you think. This probably changes tense like three times but it sounded well when I read it so give it a try.

Tony Stark does not break. That is Promise Number One and probably the only promise there is. It's the first one she ever hears and the one she never forgets.  
He doesn't break but sometimes he cracks. Just like now. Half-naked, empty bottles around him and a smell that makes her want to vomit. Pepper doesn't know, how could she? She has been working for him for less than a month so checking the death-day of his parents hadn't been a top priority. Between managing his life and trying not to break herself all she could do was watching him fall apart slowly, more and more until the first crack made him bleed. So there she was, watching him, trying to help but, oh, mistakes were made. The glass was crunching beneath her heels as she tried to come closer, fear in her eyes and her body ready to run. As soon as her fingertips just as much as grazed his skin, he started screaming. He yelled and cursed and cried until his throat was raw and his body gave up, mind too tired to continue functioning. Pepper forgives him while the first words leave his mouth because after all, this had been her fault, right?  
They never talk about it again.

 

Tony Stark promised to never hurt her. He does so after the first incident, days later as she flinches when his voice gets louder and the smell of whiskey meets her nose. They don't talk about what happened, no, he just sits down, bottle in his hand and says exactly that, "I will never hurt you".  
Pepper believes him, after all, it's Tony Stark. He doesn't break.  
It takes a while for the next crack to happen and this time she doesn't notice, doesn't see him falling apart, this time she doesn't have a warning.  
When she comes to the house she started to call home, there is no glass shattered on the floor, no smell. A woman runs past her, phone in hand and barely clothed. She ignores it. Happens too often, she thinks, one less for me to take care of. He had called her not too long ago and she had obeyed, as always. Jarvis' voice startles her, even after all these weeks. The basement, he says, go there. She obeys again.  
This time there is no yelling, no crying and breaking down. This time he allows her a hand on his shoulder before he snaps, her wrist caught in his hand and, oh, it hurts. The way he pushes her back, the way he looks at her like she killed him in the most painful way. Pepper knows the physical pain will go and look, the bruise is almost gone, don't worry, Mr. Stark, no need to apologize. It's alright. And she forgives him again because that's her job and he didn't mean to, right? "I will never hurt you again," he says, but she still denies his offer to sit with him. For the first time, she disobeys. But she forgave him, so everything is alright.

 

Tony Stark takes care of himself, thank you very much. He doesn't need an assistant. Then what is her job, they ask, pointing at the young, red-haired woman in his back who holds his coffee and never says a word. Oh, that, and his words only twist the knife in her chest, the knife he put there, she takes out the trash. And they laugh and know he is lying but why shouldn't they try to believe him? He is Tony Stark and he takes care of himself. He doesn't. And Pepper tries to look at him, eyes downwards and his promise in her mind. She wants to say something, anything. She doesn't. I will never hurt you again and he lied. As so often he lied. But maybe he didn't because, after all, she is fine and look, I do everything and anything Mr. Stark requires. I take out the trash. It's just nobody mentioned it would involve taking out myself often enough, even if for my own safety. But she forgives him again, her steps faltering this time, her hands shaking as she opens the door on her way out. "And don't come back tomorrow!" he calls after her and there was that smell again and this voice and she runs because she knows she will be back anyway, ready to pick his body up from the floor. Because she is Pepper Potts and she forgives.

 

All good things are three, she thinks, clothes dry-cleaned in her hand and a bottle in the other one. He already made two promises and broke both so maybe this one, this one will last. And she wants it to last, it is all she ever wanted. For him to keep his promises. But then he breaks them again and again and again and at some point, her head stops spinning and the hurt stops coming and the bottle is on the floor and her clothes are bloody. I'm sorry for hurting you, he says, not really is what he doesn't say. Pepper tries to get up, ignores the hand and so disobeys again, the hurt on his face open and clear. You have no right to be hurt, she thinks but she doesn't say but the rage keeps coming and coming and the heat keeps building and building and as he promises to never make her cry, not Tony Stark breaks but she. And she yells and screams and cries and starts hitting and punching because how dare you. How dare you do that to me, how dare you lie to my face again and again and the tears won't stop and he broke his promise again why can't he ever keep them. Pepper Potts is done with forgiving. Pepper Potts is done. Done with him and with her life and "I quit." Words she should have said as soon as the first promise left his mouth.  
Because he is Tony Stark. And he doesn't break. He breaks other people instead.


End file.
